Lost Story
by Kuroi Onee-san
Summary: As kidnapping, killing and missing cases began to spread around. Urban legend manifested and everything is moving out of ordinary.—‹1/?›


**Disclaimer:** Sono Hanabira no Kuchizuke wo series and Persona series are not mine

**Rating:** T (may border to M)

**Genre:** Mystery/Angst

**Summary: **As kidnapping, killing and missing cases began to spread around. Urban legend manifested and everything is moving out of ordinary.—

**Warning: **This is unbeta-ed version, sorry for all grammar mistakes.

**Author Notes:** Hello and welcome, my name is Kuroi-Oneesan. Maybe it is the first time I write here. Okay, so finally a Hanabira cross over with Persona.

.

.

.

.

"_Have you heard about Shadow Extraction?"_

"_My class already do the ritual and uploaded it on UTube."_

"_But we don't get 'it' thing!"_

"_Let's just repeat—oh right, do you join the forum?"_

"_Oh, you mean—"_

* * *

**Lost Story**

2013 © Kuroi-Oneesan

* * *

[Perspective 01 - **Overturn**]

It has been a routine for going to school early, but that not explain why she is unusually late today. Azumi Risa started a day with uneasy feeling, as she walked from home, all of whisper in train was about person missing, kidnaping or killing—it has been such a feat in the town. Risa flipped her cell, noticed that there are few messages—one from her kendo club's upperclassman and one from unknown number.

_Sender: Sawaguchi Mai-senpai_

_Subject: No practice today_

"_Risa-san, we don't have practice today, so don't bother to come to the gym, alright?"_

She decided not to open the last one until she arrived at school.

St. Michael Academy is all-girl school present in town outskirt. The school is already famous for years because of its skilled graduates. As overly aced for its home economic and calligraphy programs, St. Michael is well-known for its well-mannered students.

Risa stepped to the school grounds and directly walked to her class. The class is buzzing with same talk—same kidnapping, same killing, same juicy gossip about upperclassmen this and that. She took her seat silently after being greeted by few students, and gazed out the window. Risa turned a while to see that two seats in class is empty—one for the usually-ditching Ayase Miya and the other is her best friend desk. Oda Nanami has been recorded in absent for the whole week, and her parents said that she is sick.

Not long, the sliding door opens, revealing a new face of teacher.

"Good morning, class. I'll be substituting for Houraisen Rena-sensei as she went back overseas." Her brown-colored short hair waved as she wrote her name neatly across the black board. "I am Takeba Yukari, and I'll be teaching English, nice to meet you."

x x x

Lunchtime.

As she ventures the hallway, a view of girl in chestnut-colored hair and black hairband comes into view. Ah, speak of devil—it is Kitajima Sara, her best friend and also a well-known young model.

"Risa-chan! Let's have lunch together!"

Risa then leaves for lunch with Sara. They are lucky to secure nice spot in the school backyard. After a while of eating, Risa finished her lunch. Remembering about an unopened mail in her cellphone, she opened her cell, while waiting for Sara to finish her lunch.

_Sender: Philemon_

She doesn't remember having contact with that name.

_Subject: Congratulations_

"_Time never waits, it goes to the same end._

_Children of man, I bid you congratulation as fate has been chooseth thee to bound the power._

_However, as the contract is not forged, the path will not be opened._

_We will be waiting at the beginning of your journey_

_Don't ever falter,_

_And let your heart be your guide."_

"Is this a prank?"

Sara looked to Risa's cell, looking fazed. "Uhh, do you read novel online?"

"No." Risa shook her head. "Maybe this is just a prank. I don't really care." She flipped close her cell and stuffed it back to her skirt pocket.

"Oh yeah, talk about prank…" Sara continued. "Do you ever heard about _Shadow Extraction, _Risa-chan?"

"What is that? Urban legend again?"

"It is about you extract your own Shadow by doing a ritual, they said it will grant your three wishes." She gingerly explained. "Look, videos of it have been uploaded in UTube! It got really popular!"

Risa took Sara's cell and looked into video uploaded by someone over UTube. It is about four person performing a square formation in a room, while each other reached the other corner and cant 'Persona, Persona, please come here' thing as they formed a full square. Aside of that, nothing happened over the video.

"Strange…" Risa returned Sara's phone.

"Maybe we should do it too, and Nanami will go back!"

Risa sweat dropped. "Ahaha, I prefer for not doing extreme things like that."

x x x

Again, Risa heaves a long sigh. Today is really exhausting day, after a session of introdution with the new teacher. Sun is going to set soon as the two ready to go home.

"Good day, Azumi-san and Kitajima-san" the girl speaks. "I have been waiting for you."

When Risa stepped on the empty school ground with Sara, someone unexpected greeted her—someone that she indirectly know. She never expected to be waited by her in person, never. Matsubara Yuuna, the leader from Student Environmental Protection Committee come to see herself. However, her uneasiness linger further.

"Matsubara-senpai…? You're searching for me or…?" Risa asked.

"Both of you." Yuuna paused a bit. "Can we three talk somewhere—private?"

Risa and Sara looked at each other and nodded simultaneously.

x x x

Yuuna, Risa and Sara then went off to the backyard—farthest area beyond recognition. The empty garden near fountain spreads, no student spotted spending their time there, perfectly clean. Yuuna then stopped from her walk and faced her underclassmen, her expression looks solid and she doesn't wear her usual sweet smile.

"I hate to inform you this, but…" she cleared her throat. "Oda Nanami from first year Moon class is—missing."

Risa felt that her heart stopped beating. News about killing and the like began to surface on her mind, her fear began to rise.

"I don't know about the details…" Yuuna lowered her voice. "It has been a week, and…"

"That can't be—" Sara broke to tears. "Nanami-chan's not dead yet—NO!" Risa then hugged Sara, trying to comfort her.

"I can assume that she's not dead but the police nearly gave up on finding her." The leader of Student Environmental Protection Committee spoke. "You're her closest friend so I inform you first."

"Thank you, _senpai_. For telling us." Risa said in nearly hoarse voice. "Please leave us for now."

"I understand, it must be hard, regarding the rumor around us." Yuuna sighed wearily. "Good day, both of you."

(Yuuna left the two girls in the garden alone—as tears flow freely from her eyes like a torrent rain.)

x x x

"Here,"

Risa tossed a can of milk tea to Sara as she stopped crying. She bought herself a coffee, way to break from stressful day. Today _really _is exhausting. They took a seat on the same garden, comforting their selves after learning a shocking truth. Cases of kidnapping and killing are over media, what scares them. There's such high probability that Nanami is kidnapped or maybe already killed and being thrown somewhere.

"Nanami-chan…" Sara looked downward. "So she's—gone…"

"No, we don't know yet…don't lose hope so fast." Risa shook her head. "The police will find her soon for sure."

"Yuuna-san is her girlfriend, isn't she?" the model took a gulp from her can. "She must've been more—shocked than us."

Silence filled between them.

"Let's go home, I'm tired."

"…Yeah."

They walked rather wearily from the garden as they saw a silhouette running past hallway, with a familiar twin pigtailed magenta hair tied in purple ribbon and—

"Is that—"

Sara added, "Nanami-chan?"

Both of them stoned in unison, and they broke to run.

x x x

They already running past most hallways of the first floor to find no one is present at school. They are sure that the person they caught a glimpse to is really Oda Nanami.

"We are not hallucinating, aren't we?" Risa said to Sara behind her.

"I'm sure that it is Nanami-chan! But—"

They heard footsteps from the ascending stairs.

It is going near.

And—

"Nanami-san…?"

But the figure wasn't answering, rather, something odd is began to fill the floor—some sort of red liquid. The figure then jumped forward to them, ready to stab them with something sharp—

"Sara-san, watch out!"

_CRASH_

The figure crashed the floor rather hard, missed the two barely. A cut formed on Risa's arm because of the attack. The figure is looked like Nanami, but something is off—Nanami is not that agile or can wield a knife.

"She is not Nanami-chan, she is **monster**!" Sara shrieked.

"_I am Nanami too, you know? You guys are my friend, why are you avoiding me?"_

An eerie aura spreading within the floor, and the blood already stained the first floor, coloring the world red.

"RUN!"

Risa screamed aloud and running with Sara from the fright of monster. They ran and the monster chased on their back. They searched blindly for a place to hide, and what comes to mind is their own class. After several turning, they found their class on the corner and quickly enter the class as the monster-like Nanami is not seen following them. They stacked all nearest seat to the door, blocking the entrance.

"A-A-Are we safe now…?"

"_Looks like you are cornered, sadly._"

A voice.

Sweet voice that they have known—

As they turned to see, they see Kitajima Sara seated on top of her desk, smiling mischievously.

"It is—_me_?"

The posture, the way its hair combed with hairband, and the way of clothing—it is definitely a perfect copy of Kitajima Sara herself. Who is this?

"_You are me, and I am you. Simple truth isn't it, me?"_

"Are you monster, just like Nanami-chan earlier…?"

"_I've said it, am I not? I am you, Sara-chan. You don't believe me?" _she replied. _"Very well, how about a little secret sharing? Well, about your own rotten heart, perhaps?"_

"What are you talking about—?"

"_You are so full of yourself. Have you ever think that Kaede-chan already do many things for you and all you do is only bothering her more, hmm?" _The other Sara stepped nearer. _"You only want everyone to understand you, yet—you do nothing for their favor!"_

"I-I'm not like that!" she tried to close her ears.

"_Rejecting the truths now? Come on, me." _She laughed out loud. _"You just mere rotten devil who never do any good. You hate to be hated, but all you do is making people hate you—envy you! Look, you're top model and you have everything! Aaand, you're making Kanade suffer because your own selfishness!"_

"No—I'm not—I…!"

"_You're powerless, let me be in your position. I'll change everything for you!"_

"No—you're not me!"

"_Hehe, ahahaha!"_

Suddenly the ground shook wildly and everything's changed rapidly. The copy of Sara glowed, then it grows bigger—fitting the room. Its body is spreading tentacle within its white robe, while has the head of Sara. Risa stepped back in fright, cornered. She has nowhere to run.

"Risa-chan, let's go outside—"

'_Congratulations—'_

'_Philemon.'_

All of sudden she remembered the suspicious text messages she read.

"Risa-chan, are you okay?" Sara called, but nothing she can heard beside the sound ringing in her head.

'_Power…'_

'_Do you want power?'_

Risa is getting dizzier as more words coming to her mind. Her headache is unbearable. While the other Sara already charged its fangs triumphantly and ready to unleash an attack.

'_Contract.'_

'_You hereby declare your contract.'_

'_Do you want to save your friend?'_

'_I can save it for you—'_

She closed her eyes. She kneeled over as her consciousness began to drift away from her. She felt warm—yet cold at the same time.

_Thou—art I—and I am thou._

_From the sea of thy soul I come from,_

_I'm—_

The sound from her mind stopped, a circle of blue light appeared around her, and…

"—**PERSONA!**"

With a deafening sound of threatening roar, a figure came out from Risa's body—an enigmatic figure, wrapped in black coat and raised its demonic wings. Cracks of ice, thin wall of ice appeared along with its arrival, made the monster scream in agony as the monster being knocked aside by the ice walls. Sara can only watch as the skirmish turned upside down.

"_I am Loki, the trickster."_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH."

Risa screamed aloud as she felt pain surging along her head. The figure then running rampant, spreading both of its hand forward and created a block of ice covering the monster and in swift move, crushed the ice walls along with the monster. The other Sara reverted back to its original state.

"Ugh—*cough*—ack."

"Risa-chan, you—you destroyed it!" Sara said in surprised tone. "Y-You're amazing!"

"I—I see."

She didn't hear the rest of Sara's mumbling as her eyes felt heavy and her mind forced herself to meet the deep darkness.

x x x

Sorrowful sound of song caught her to awake soundly, Risa now noticed that she's no longer in her school. It was a cramped space—a room filled with white sofa, few old standing clocks that stopped tickling, and on the background is frilly curtain. She can see atop of the sofa there are letters said '_Velvet Clock Shop'_ neatly. She wondered how long she has been asleep, and—

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear young guest."

An old man voice snapped her, and the view beyond her changed suddenly—from only her seated there to four person stood in front of her. The old man whom chuckled, the young lady with short white hair stood beside him, the enigmatic woman whom singing a song and the man with covered eyes playing piano gently.

_Is she already dead?_

"Do not afraid. You're not dead yet." The old man cleared his throat. "My name is Igor, I'm delighted to be your acquaintance."

Risa eyed him quietly as he gestured with his hand forward, revealing a cellphone with void color.

"I see that Philemon forged a contract with you." Igor smiled. "And to fulfill the contract, I hereby play my role."

He showed the cellphone to Risa, there was exact same mail that she received this morning—and with addition below is her full name written below words _''I choose this fate of mine own free will'_.

In loss of words, she finally spoke. "…What role exactly…?"

"You already discovered a power and I'm your guide to harness your full potential." He flipped the cell close and as he clasp his hands, it disappeared. "You must've been seeing for yourself that the Trickster heeded your call."

In her mind, scene slowly replaying, about voices in her head and a surge of an unknown figure that slayed the monster—

"Well, I shouldn't keep you here any longer as time will never sleeps." Igor chuckled. "Well then, good day, young lady."

x x x

Risa feels her mind getting clearer. She then opened her eyes quietly. At first it was all white and bright, but after she glanced to the other side, she—

—find a crying Sara beside her bedside.

"Where…am I?" Risa whispered.

"—Risa-chan, are you awake?" Sara almost jumped in joy. "T-Thank goodness…" and she continued to sob uncontrollably.

"How long did I—"

"A-A-About a week…" she sniffed hard. "I-I thought I will lose one more friend…" she clutched the bed sheet and continued to cry.

"There, there, I'm sorry." Risa patted Sara.

After a moment of silence, suddenly Sara got up from her crying, "O-Oh, right! I must come back to school or Kaede-chan will be angry!"

There she goes.

Risa shifted from her sleeping position, she's not fully awake yet and looks like the cut from that day was fully healed. But, events on previous week is still fresh in her mind—and whether that about Nanami's whereabouts. To come into such place with full other beings was like a dream to her, nonetheless, her meeting with the strange old man.

What Persona really is? Why she gifted with such power?

"Are you awake yet?"

Unbeknown to her, her homeroom teacher already stood by the door—smiling yet worried plastered all over her face.

"Thank goodness that you're finally awake." Takeba-sensei said, "I was surprised when Kitajima-san came crying to me that day…"

"Sensei…Thank you for saving me…" Risa bowed deeply.

"Now then…" she took a seat beside Risa's bed. "You are a Persona-user now. Congratulations."

"You—knew something about Persona?"

"Well, yes, you can put it that way." Takeba-sensei nodded. "I was a Persona-user, and I can help you both on this ordeal."

"…Ordeal?"

"Right. As you can see, those monsters—we call them 'Shadow'—are been leaking through our world."

**[To be Continued.]**

* * *

**Additional Data:**

_Persona-users_

I. Azumi Risa  
Weapon: 2h sword  
**Persona:** Loki of The Magician Arcanum  
**Strong:** Ice  
**Weak:** Fire  
**Skills:** Bufu, Rakukaja, Tentarafoo  
**Compendium Info:** "A trickster god, he starts out as at least on the side of the aesir, but crosses the line when he engineers Baldr's death. He will lead the armies of the jotun during Ragnarok."

II. Kitajima Sara  
**Weapon: **Short sword  
**Persona:** Norn of The Lovers Arcanum  
**Strong:** Wind  
**Weak:** Electricity  
**Skills:** Garu, Marin Karin, Dia  
**Compendium Info:** "Goddesses of fate in Norse lore. Said to be giantesses. They live below the roots of Yggdrasil and weave the threads of fate, which bind even the gods.."

Info: Sara will excel in healing magic and also wind magic.

* * *

**Footnotes: **Well? I hope you guys enjoyed the introductory chapter! Sorry because that it is quite fast-paced, I'm not really good in writing a prologue. And you must've been already figured out that I used Norse mythology. And for other references;

-There's no navigator character like P1 and P2,  
-There will be Social Link feature  
-This is Hanabira x Persona crossover with little P3 and maybe P2 character

I hope you can enjoy this piece, thanks and stay-tuned!


End file.
